with the conviction that he must have a full vindication today.

It was when he returned to barracks and the ranks were broken,
that Dick discovered how many friends he had. Fully twoscore
of his classmates rushed to wring his hand and to wish him the
best kind of good luck that day.

Yet at 7.55 the sections marched away to mathematics, philosophy
or engineering, according to the classes to which the young soldiers
belonged.

Then Prescott faced a lonely hour in his room.

"The fellows were mighty good, a lot of them," thought the accused
cadet, with his first real sinking feeling that morning. "Yet,
if any straw of evidence, this morning, seems really to throw
any definite taint upon me, not one of these same fellows would
ever again consent to wipe his feet on me!"

Such is the spirit of the cadet corps. Any comrade and brother
must be wholly above suspicion where his honor is concerned.

Had Dick been really guilty he would have been the meanest thing
in cadet barracks.

At a little before nine o'clock Lieutenant Topham called. To
Cadet Prescott it seemed grimly absurd that he must now go forth
in holiday attire of cadet full-dress uniform, white lisle gloves
and all---to stand before the court of officers who were to decide
whether he was morally fit to remain and associate with the other